CJP reconstitutes bench hearing Geo case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has reconstituted a three judges bench which was hearing the case of Geo, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The apex court has reconstituted the bench hearing Geo license suspension case. Justice Ijaz Afzal will head the newly constitued bench, while Justice Ijaz Chaudhry and Justice Mushir Alam will be other two members of the bench.

The earlier bench was headed by Justice Jawad S. Khawaja. Justice Khawaja had refused to recuse himself from the case, after it was pointed out that a close relative was married into the family that owns the Geo enterprise and continued to sit on the three member bench.

The management of Geo and the owners of the television channel had filed petitions in Supreme Court over the cases registered against Geo and other issues.

ARY News anchorperson Mubashir Luqman and other people had objected over the bench and informed the court that Justice Jawad S. Khawaja was a close relative of Mir Shakilur Rehman.

Justice Khawaja accepted the objection that the owner of Geo was his relative but refused to recuse himself from the case.

The issue, however, raised questions about the transparency of the hearing and justice in the case.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan has now decided to reconstitute the bench headed by Justice Ijaz Afzal to hear the case.